Reality Sets In - Army Game and the Season. What Say You?

[ManFromOZ]

The game today really stings on several levels - especially bowl consideration. The classic trap game on the road. The 9.5 line spoke volumes as viewed by the sharps. It's now in the rear view mirror. Won't see the bone offense anytime soon and that's a good thing. That's the reality of today. What is the other reality is a pleasantly surprising season and how far this team has come in Mora's first year. What person's reality had six wins penciled in at the beginning of the season? What's real is UCONN football is no longer a doormat. That's a reality that we all can love with. Sure there will be bumps along the way and having to sweat out potentially losing Mora to a Power 5 teams or players wanting to do the same. We sit here at the end of the season in a far better position. It's a great thing when your team overachieves. That's a reality we should all factor into our thinking as we await bowl selections.

 

[Madmannsucks]

At the beginning of the year I saw 3 or 4 wins. Should have won today but I really can't complain. Best thing about today's loss, maybe Mora's star dropped a bit and he stays. I also feel good for the kids who knew nothing but humiliating losses over the past few years and got to taste some success. Hopefully the crowds come back next year to support them.

 

[ScottVib]

This season is an unqualified success, regardless of what happens from this point. I think they get into a bowl game still but win, lose or staying home, there is no way to grade this season other than tremendous

 

[Rondogg]

6 wins and we own New England? Yeah, I'm stoked. It's been a long time...

 

[Rocktheworld]

We won 6 games this year despite serious injuries
We won 7 games total over the last FOUR seasons

And we have to figure it’s only up from here. The shocking success may get some decent transfers. Hopefully the AD invests in Mora’s vision. This reality is pretty good. It’s looking like I was a total idiot when I was initially skeptical of the hire.

Not being in a conference is the worst part of our situation by far right now

 

[BugsyCT]

At the beginning of the year I had 3 wins (not knowing what to expect at all). Considering all the skill players we lost on offense when the season barely got going, getting 6 wins is a monumental job by Mora and this team.

 

[formerlurker]

After a decade of the glass being bone dry by week 3, I'm happy as hell to have it half full.

 

[shizzle787]

Disappointing loss today but overall the season has been a huge success. Mora would go from an A to A+ with a bowl win.

 

[UCan3]

It was a loss - seen a lot worse and think there are some overreactions of the board. The one I don’t agree with is “we should have won” nope actually we lost to a better team today - that’s why they won and we lost.

There were lots of things that you could point to today - dropped passes, failure to convert from 1 yd line twice, failure to stop the Same pitch run play over and over and over again, poor offensive play calling, and a disappearing of key offensive players in 2nd half.

But with this being said, it wasn’t the worst loss ever - it was the team letting another team impose their will in the 2nd half - that was hard to watch.

But we will get better - we’ve got lots of room for improvement next season if we don’t get a bowl invite.

 

[JaYnYcE]

Disappointed. UConn beat themselves with a ton of penalties and a costly turnover in the fourth.

 

[Palatine]

Great year considering where we came from. Very disappointing game today. Blocked punt, penalties, missed opportiunities, the coaches even got in on it with a terrible time out in the first half. Go Huskies.

 

[warbler1055]

A 6 Win season is an unqualified success. What really hurt is we got beat by a 3-6 team, same team which inflicted a 52-21 beating on UConn last year. With the season on balance, bowl opportunities at stake, we laid an egg. So many penalties, errors, drop balls, not scoring at the 1 yard line twice, defense could not stop the running game. Defense which was solid most of season allowed 27 points, the blocked punt added another 7 pts. Basically UConn deserved to lose this game. A great story became as they said in Mad Max "Mediocre".

 

[SubbaBub]

Got off the mat.
Won a bunch of games we should have one (would have been embarrassing to lose).
Left a bunch on the table.
Nowhere close to a finished product.
Expectations up for next season
Bummed we will need to win a bowl game for a winning season.

 

[Punkbo]

It was a loss - seen a lot worse and think there are some overreactions of the board. The one I don’t agree with is “we should have won” nope actually we lost to a better team today - that’s why they won and we lost.

There were lots of things that you could point to today - dropped passes, failure to convert from 1 yd line twice, failure to stop the Same pitch run play over and over and over again, poor offensive play calling, and a disappearing of key offensive players in 2nd half.

But with this being said, it wasn’t the worst loss ever - it was the team letting another team impose their will in the 2nd half - that was hard to watch.

But we will get better - we’ve got lots of room for improvement next season if we don’t get a bowl invite.

Despite all of the accolades being thrown around for a great year, this one was painful for me and I bet it was painful for the entire coaching staff. If we had executed at all in the first half, we would have had a sizable lead and could have played to our strengths in the second half. Didn’t happen and I agree with your assessment that we let Army impose their will on us at that point. Terrible result. I hope we don’t become complacent because we had a nice year. Plenty of things to work on.

 

[gtcam]

Disappointed. UConn beat themselves with a ton of penalties and a costly turnover in the fourth.

In the outcome of this one game? Sure. The season? Hell No

 

[JaYnYcE]

In the outcome of this one game? Sure. The season? Hell No

It’s disappointing in both cases. Ending the season with an L doesn’t bode well in increasing UConn’s chances for a bowl game as an independent.

 

[UCFBfan]

I don't know how anyone in their right mind can say anything other than this season being a massive success. Seeing people here talking about a Bowl game as defining their final opinion?? Have we forgotten where this program has been for almost a decade? Is 6 wins not enough to make this season an overwhelming success?!?

Sure, a loss yesterday stunk and we could have won. However, if we look back to the beat downs we got to start the season, minus CCSU, and then you'd tell me we'd be 6-6 and play solid football, I wouldn't believe it. Yet here we are. Mora and company have done an amazing job and these players deserve the same amount of credit. I'm not worried about losing Mora or any of that. For once I feel we have a coach who will stick around for a bit. I'm just enjoying knowing that we are 6-6 and can even think of a post season.

 

[uconnyankee]

Yesterday was a reminder that there is still a lot of work needed in a lot of key areas.
A team can’t have 30 tries from the 1 and come away with 3 points. Play calling and execution during those two early possessions set the tone for a loooooong day.

I was also reading other posts about this being Turner’s team moving forward. Yesterday showed he’s not a lock. There will be another competition next year.

While the overall season was a gem, this game sets tone for bowl bid and fan interest. This game took UConn from selling tickets to meh. Casual fans are not juiced for a 6-6 team that looked bad against a 3-6 Army team. That’s CT reality.

Next year uconn will be better. Player development will continue, and more of Moras fingerprints will be on the program.
A small but not insignificant step backward yesterday in an overall huge step forward in the season.

 

[UCFBfan]

While the overall season was a gem, this game sets tone for bowl bid and fan interest. This game took UConn from selling tickets to meh. Casual fans are not juiced for a 6-6 team that looked bad against a 3-6 Army team. That’s CT reality.

I disagree with this. A loss to Army doesn't change an entire season's worth of progress in the selling tickets department. The casual fan you talk about will not even know what Army's record was or that it was a game we should have won.

Mora has excitement in this program for once. Our social media presence is on fire and we can all guarantee that it will be in full force when season ticket time rolls around. 6-6 will excite casual fans and get us hardcore fans to be able to bring our casual friends back to games. I have a feeling that bribes or arm twisting will not be needed as much when getting people to go to games with you. Ticket sales will likely be a lot higher because we won 6 games and wouldn't matter if it was 6 or 7. If we get into a bowl, that would create more excitement.

 

[RedStickHusky]

We were gifted this season with the return of football. Army game was painful, but still better than the last 7 years of not caring by now.... Gotta make Army play from behind, we dug a hole with the first quarter mistakes. Mora has plenty to work on. I'm confident that he'll maintain a positive trajectory. P.S. I'm all in for off-season roster improvements but once a player takes the field in a Husky jersey, he's my player - I'm not going to trash him or root for his failure so I can look smart on a message board. Some of our "so called fans"... SMH.

 

[giddyup]

That was a bad Army team, and we managed to play down below to their level. This one hurts because we clearly had the ability and talent to dominate them. We just flubbed it up at every possible turn, literally from the opening possession. I’m still scratching my head how we managed not to be up at least 21-7 at half. Wow. And, I’m sorry guys. I’ve been bitching about Charlton, and I hope you see why for good reason.

 

[RedStickHusky]

That was a bad Army team, and we managed to play down below to their level. This one hurts because we clearly had the ability and talent to dominate them. We just flubbed it up at every possible turn, literally from the opening possession. I’m still scratching my head how we managed not to be up at least 21-7 at half. Wow. And, I’m sorry guys. I’ve been bitching about Charlton, and I hope you see why for good reason.

Mods are smart to limit game chat to a purgeable room... We all get excited. We all give a in our own way.

 

[DoctorWho85]

The false starts are concerning. They shoot themselves in the foot on almost every drive and put the offense behind. They were running all over army in the first half but somehow they decided to try to pass more in the second for now reason. Zion has gotten more accurate, but I hope, and no offense to turner, that Roberson comes back fully healthy and ready to compete.

 

[Scoe]

I had my concerns going in obviously the triple option. I already knew the officiating was going to suck and Army was gonna get away with holding, targeting whatever. Yes we know Army was 3-6, that can make a team more dangerous because when your losing your going to switch up your game plan and be more motivated it’s human nature.

Most disappointing is we had a chance to put the game into our hands and overcome bad officiating. We were running the ball at will. You can’t stick it in on the 1 yard line and give up a blocked punt for TD you don’t deserve to win.

It is what it is we just don’t match up well against Army. I’m not ready for this season to end, this team has been a joy to watch. Part of the process is learning from the tough losses, I have full confidence that Mora will learn from this loss. I’m sure it was a very long 4 hour bus ride back to campus. Just hope these seniors who stuck with the program and ones transferring in buying into Mora’s vision all get rewarded with a bowl game.

 

[Scoe]

Zion will be the front runner for the job going into next season. True freshman playing all 12 games would like to believe he will make a leap next year with a full offseason program and spring practices, hopefully a healthy offense next year and of course a bowl game.

With Robertson and Tyler P we’ll see they should have every opportunity at the job. Health is the number 1 factor obviously. Best ability is availability as they say. Competition makes your starters better.